Month: June 2015

What is it: Di Vine Hair is a hair studio
Where is it: Elizabeth Street, Brisbane
What did I have done there: cut, colour, blow dry finish.
Cost: 230-240.
Time: approx 2h 45m
What look did I aim for: a hybrid between Dita von Teese and Margaery Tyrell.
What’s wrong with my face in this picture? Tired, bad light, and a cell phone camera.

Brand: TonyMoly Products: Deep Cleanser (foam), Steam Balm, Tightening Pack (cooling clay mask), Silky Smooth Balm (Primer).
Series: Egg Pore
Cost: Cleanser just below 8 dollars, the actual eggs cost 14-18 dollars depending on where you buy them. Available: Both MD Ranking and the W Costmetics stores have products in this series.
Have I tested the full range? Nope, there’s at least another primer and different versions of the eggs out there that I haven’t tried.Read More »

First impression: The product name seems to be a case of Engrish, which is quite common for the products I try. Cheaper than many of the other sheet masks, prices usually range from 2-4 dollars per sheet. Smells nice, feels nice. You look like a serial killer with a budget disguise whenever you wear a sheet mask. It’s part of the fun. Innisfree is a good brand for sensitive skin and this version thankfully doesn’t contain alcohol, which is something you should keep an eye out for with all skincare products.

So, today the tables were flipped and the time had come to test how well Korean brands perform at creating a makeup look inspired by Western trends. Yesterday, I tested how western brands performed at creating a look with some korean trends.
Since the other part of the experiment was a day look, I went with a look more appropriate for night time with this second part. The idea is to create something that I would happily wear but that is still slightly out of my comfort zone in one way or another. I think the result is ok but not perfect, we’ll get to what I’m unhappy with later in this post.

First Impression: Since I’m one of those people who think that cleaning brushes is one of the most boring things ever, I’ve been looking for something to reduce the amount of baths I need to give said brushes. Enter this spray. It’s a quick cleansing spray in an unremarkable bottle. As google will tell you, you spray it on your brushes after use and then wipe them on a towel until no more product comes off. Consider it makeup remover for your brushes. Or dry shampoo.Read More »

I first thought of this idea when I saw an American youtube “beauty guru” (seriously, who invented that term?) give TonyMoly’s Delight tint an abysmal performance rating after she tried to use it as a lipgloss or liquid lipstick. If a lot of us Westeners expect Korean brands to be used to work with Western trends and beauty norms, then we should also expect Western brands to be able to work with Korean trends. Seems fair, right?

So I decided to put some of my makeup to the test to see if I could create a makeup look inspired by Korean trends using Western brands. Later on, I’ll use Korean brands to create a very Western look.
Spoiler alert, the first day of this experiment was not a resounding success. If this was debating, this performance would get a 73 or a 74. Slightly below average.

First Impression: This is adorably weird. The product itself is a light blue stick… cream, a bit like those stick blushes. It has a light fresh scent that is unusually discrete for this brand. It is intended to decrease swelling around the eyes by chilling the area slightly. It’s very easy to use (just swipe it under your eye and tap until any excess product is absorbed.

First impression: the smell is amazing, it’s not ov erpowering but still distinctly peach. The texture is soft and creamy, thick but doesn’t feel oily or like you’ve just covered your skin in lard. It’s pleasant to use and a small amount of product goes a long way. The effect on the back of the hands is immediate, the skin feels softer and smoother.